By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter


President Roh Moo-hyun embarks on Thursday on a 10-day tour to Mexico, Costa Rica and the United Nations headquarters in New York, where he will give a keynote speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

Roh will first fly to Mexico City for a four-day stay, during which time he will hold summit talks with Mexican President Vicente Fox on ways to strengthen bilateral relations on security and trade matters, according to officials at Chong Wa Dae Wednesday.

He will also hold a meeting with more than 30,000 ethnic Koreans during the state visit, which comes in the year marking the centennial of Korean immigration to the North American nation.

On his second leg of the trip, Roh will fly to Costa Rica on Sunday for talks with President Abel Pacheco. He will also meet with leaders of eight Latin American states dubbed ``SICA’’ on enhancing bilateral ties.

Focus will be placed on seeking cooperation in information-technology (IT) and biotechnology and helping South Korean firms in Costa Rica make inroads into American markets, according to Chung Woo-sung, presidential advisor for foreign policy.

South Korea and Costa Rica are to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on IT cooperation so the country can serve as a stepping stone for South Korean IT companies’ advance into Central America.

On the last leg of the tour, Roh will arrive in New York on Tuesday to attend a special summit of leaders from around the world on ways of reforming the U.N., marking the 60th anniversary of its establishment.

In his keynote speech at the U.N. summit, Roh will present his vision for the new world order of the 21st century, presidential advisor Chung said in a press briefing.

Sources said Roh may ``encounter’’ leaders of the four nations surrounding the Korean Peninsula, including U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao, on the sidelines of the U.N. convention.

They added that Roh may not meet them this time, as they will visit South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in the southeastern port city of Pusan in November.

While in the United States, Roh will deliver a speech at a dinner meeting hosted by the Korea Society on Sept. 15. He will deliver the private think tank’s annual Van Fleet award to former U.S. President George Bush, Chong Wa Dae said.

Roh will return home on Sept. 17.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr